Aria scrutinized the pendant with a wary eye. Since ancient times, accessories crafted from willow had been deemed ill-suited for human use. The willow's drooping leaves had long been associated with death and sorrow, often planted in cemeteries and featured on gravestones in the southern regions of Farshya.For a lotus pendant, a symbol of peace and purity, oak or mahogany would be the preferred woods, with poplar as a secondary choice if the others were unavailable. Willow was never considered—its use in crafting was said to herald disaster or summon malevolent spiritsThe lotus pattern on this pendant was unsettling, twisted in a manner that provoked unease in those who gazed upon it.Tobias had once told her that there were countless Pristine deities. To follow the Pristine religion, one needed to be certain of their devotion to a genuine, legitimate figure. The Pristine religion and its myths originated from Durin, a land with a deep history, where some illegitimate figures
Why had Mindy given her such a sinister pendant? What was she plotting? Verona's back was drenched with cold sweat, and a chill shot up her spine. She didn't keep anything from Aria, asking her directly, "Hypothetically, just hypothetically, what would happen if someone was sniffing this blend for a long time?""This concoction impacts both your physique and spirit, and you'll eventually get addicted to it," Aria said seriously, "You'll gradually become the most loyal believer ever, and you'll lose the ability to form your own opinions about certain matters."Verona's clutch fell to the ground with a thud. Suddenly, everything started to fall into place. Mindy had approached her deliberately. Knowing Verona's struggles with sleep and her desire for Fiona's recovery, Mindy manipulated the situation to make Verona gradually accept her.However, Mindy was only nine years old when that happened.Verona's first reaction was that there was a misunderstanding. However, when she met Ar
"It's not that serious yet." Aria tossed the necklace to Sam. "The adverse effects tend to manifest themselves gradually. I'll go to your house and see what's happening."Sam liked the pendant. The black fog smelled tasty, but he couldn't eat it because Aria forbade him. He was fine with it, though, because the beef at the buffet tasted great too. Sam decided he shouldn't make any more excessive demands, for his salary would be cut, and he would be forcibly sent to school. So, Sam behaved better than ever.…Aria hadn't realized the full extent of Verona's situation, but now that she was aware, she thought it best to investigate. More importantly, she might be able to discern Mindy's school of thought from the items at Verona's place.She hadn't forgotten the important information Nyx had given her. She had Landon take note of the CCTV footage. She wanted a comprehensive list of whoever had entered the room at around half past eight, including the waiting staff.Landon didn't as
The banquet would be ending soon. In order not to make everything seem too out of the ordinary, Fiona and Aria's three brothers mingled with the crowd while Aria checked the CCTV footage. She inspected the footage repeatedly and concluded that the Wagners and Furlers were the only people who had come in during that time of day. Philip was also among them. As he was occupied by certain matters, he'd had no time to go to Aria.This was different from what had happened in her dreams. Aria's sixth sense told her that the person she sought had never come to the banquet.Should Aria stop thinking of her dreams as reality? Or had something occurred today that had altered the scenario, preventing the person from appearing?Aria pressed her finger against the coin. Nyx was still perched on her shoulders. "I picked up on that person's scent, my lord."If Nyx and the twins had sensed the person's scent despite being absent, that meant only one thing—the Furlers and Wagners had met that pers
The fog was invisible to the average person, as was the strange fortune that had suddenly altered the surrounding area.However, arcane seekers of the highest level could sense it, including Homer, who was in the middle of discussing with Lysander how to convince Aria to join the Dracotigris Order. He suddenly stood up straight. "Something's wrong in the west side of the city."That feeling had come and gone swiftly, and Homer had an abrupt realization. "Someone's changing their fate!" This was strictly forbidden for arcane seekers, but Homer could feel that the other party was using magic from his own faction, causing his expression to darken.The clear skies suddenly became dark and cloudy. The moment Aria left the hotel and got on her bike, it started raining.The rain made her uneasy, and the night sky was shrouded in clouds and fog.…Toto was in bad shape. He was completely unconscious, and only a fragment of his soul remained when Aria found him."He'll die soon, my lor
Aria said seriously, "Yes. Some doctors are truly dedicated to saving the injured and sick. There's a saying that not many people know—'medicine is the art of fighting death; the doctor is its warrior.'""Good doctors can protect Toto." Aria made a call. "Hello, Dr. Lowe? It's me, Aria. I have a patient here who's very young—only four years old. He's very weak now and needs to be hooked to an IV."Yes, I'm right across from your hospital. I'll have his mom take him there. When he's there, please monitor his heart rate and breathing constantly. I'll take care of the rest."Abraham didn't quite understand what Aria meant by taking care of the rest. As a doctor who had devoted his whole life to saving others, he immediately became anxious upon hearing about Toto's condition. He was eating lunch after a surgical operation, but after only a few bites, he set his meal aside and rushed to attend to Toto.Verona looked at Aria, who asked if Toto was allergic to anything, and her shame al
Aria raised a brow. "Aren't all manifestations like this? For the ordinary person, your manifestations felt like another world too."She hopped onto her bike. "Hang in there. I'm driving this in." She revved the engine. If anyone else had been there, they would have noticed how the black-and-red bike vanished as it entered the villa.Outside, nothing seemed to change when Aria barged in. Only one corner of the villa emitted black fog, as if an invisible door had briefly opened and closed.Whenever she sought out the missing fragment of a soul, Aria always brought along an object deeply connected to the person—a token of familiarity or attachment.Noticing that Toto clutched a small rubber duckie, a cherished companion in his unconscious state, Aria snatched it without hesitation and tucked it into her pocket.Entering a manifestation typically required utmost caution; any disturbance could send the spirits within into a frenzy, especially when the conjurer was startled. Yet, n
Viktor had his men stop upon hearing Aria's words. This was a delicate moment, and Krowo needed to win over Farshyans, who were willing to side with them publicly.The youth newspaper had been a thorn in the Krowonians' side. If certain issues were exposed internationally, their ongoing claims—that they had come to Farshya to improve the people's lives without coveting their land—would be called into question.Viktor made his way forward. "You misunderstand, beautiful lady. Krowo built schools for Farshyan kids there who couldn't afford to go to school. This girl looks so young, yet she's selling flowers here, so we wanted to send her to school. We don't speak the same language, so she is somewhat averse toward me."Aria hadn't met any politicians before, but she knew instantly that Viktor was insincere. He had a photographer with him, and that, together with their current location, gave Aria insight into his intentions."If we're in Krowo right now, and a young girl was suddenly p
"But he does look familiar." This was the first time Morwenna had such a feeling. It was as if the man from the York family was even more noble than her. Before him, she felt like a nobody. The idea of that provoked Morwenna. She was a deity from Krowo, so who was he to make her feel this way? "I think you should find a chance for me to meet that guy from the York family sometime." Morwenna met the old man's eyes. "The Yorks are the true noble family when it comes to protecting the nation. They've just been focused on commerce for the past century, which made us overlook them. The Yorks might be helpful to us." "I'll look into it." The old man glanced aside. "But why haven't you completed the tasks I assigned?" William stepped forward and said, "Sir, I came to bring good news. We've located the celestial essence you sensed earlier. Rest assured, we'll present it to you soon." "Good." This was the first time the old man showed satisfaction in days. "Before you bring it, inve
The child's fate was not merely at odds with his own—it actively threatened it. On that fateful day, the old man had been plagued by dreams from a distant past, visions long buried in the sands of time. It became clear that his unnatural existence, suspended between life and death as a half-human, half-ghost, was tethered to the very essence of that unborn child.A shadow crossed his eyes as he clenched his fists. "Perhaps I should have altered my perspective earlier. It's time to take a proper look at that child... the one I couldn't read, no matter how hard I tried."Morwenna's voice, filled with venom, cut through the silence. "The Carvers have always been a thorn in our side. They were a problem then, and they remain one now. We should've eliminated that woman before she could interfere."The old man shot her a sidelong glance. "You need to keep your presence hidden in Farshya. Stop drawing attention by appearing in their churches. I've told you before not to provoke the Farshya
Something had fallen to the ground, and a small shadow began to stir behind the curtains."She's not only hindering you but me as well," came a voice that sounded like that of a little girl. Yet, it carried an unsettling, unnatural tone, more akin to the mechanical chatter of those dolls."How could she return?" Behind the curtain, the shadow's long hair seemed to extend at an unnatural speed, growing longer by the second.The entire mansion was cloaked in an eerie atmosphere. The butler at the door stood trembling, yet William appeared almost euphoric as he bowed low and said reverently, "Morwenna, you've finally regained yourself!"The wooden doll named Morwenna let out a mocking laugh. "Regained myself? Is this what you call recovery?"The shadow behind the curtain trembled, and the lights overhead flickered ominously."We anticipated years ago that she would disrupt everything, that the Carver family's plans would crumble," Morwenna hissed. "And yet, you let her return!"A l
Furrowing his eyebrows, the old man moved his fingers as if counting something. "That's weird, then."It was the same issue as before—he couldn't predict anything about Aria. If she had some ties to Homer, he should at least catch a glimpse of it. At best, she would only be Homer's apprentice. Yet, she remained an enigma beyond his foresight, shielded from even his most refined techniques.If someone was backing her, how did they conceal her from his visions? And why?The recent downfall of the Daley family was equally perplexing. It had been executed so seamlessly that no one even noticed until it was too late. The Daleys had served the country well, earning enough merit to secure the higher-ups' protection. But despite this, they were wiped out overnight.This incident triggered a memory—the old man recalled an organization he had encountered in passing—the Special Missions Unit.The unit was not affiliated with any government, yet it was always a step ahead in hunting down spie
The old man glanced at William and spoke sharply. "What went wrong with the seal?"William bowed his head, unable to provide a clear answer. "The rumors about the Daley family emerged from nowhere. We tried to suppress the information while investigating the source, but all efforts were futile."Nobody knew who the Daley family had provoked, only knowing the higher-ups were the ones giving orders. Plus, the entire case was executed quickly and privately. It was as if someone was targeting the Daley family. "The case wasn't investigated using normal procedures at all. I can't reach out to the Daley family without risking exposure. I'm afraid someone might recognize me. "If I'm identified, all our hard work over the years will unravel. And now, the matter has already been brought to light online, putting us in a precarious position."They had used a lot of energy and time to ensure their plan was executed perfectly. Their actions had gone unnoticed for the past few years. Howeve
Sam had always been by Aria's side during her bouts of self-doubt. That was why she had always prayed that Tobias' ominous prediction would never come true.Before he vanished, Tobias had warned her that if Chaos reemerged, it would wreak havoc across the world. And when that moment arrived, Aria would need to steel herself and eliminate it.But Aria disagreed. To her, Sam was like family. He would happily carry out her every request as long as he was rewarded with a bit of food. How could such an earnest and loyal companion be a threat?Sam was undoubtedly righteous, just somewhat slow to react. How could he possibly bring chaos to the world?Aria could only dismiss the grim rumors as baseless. Either that or Sam had been misled by someone else.Pahana had once told her that Sam had a previous master. He was still young then and couldn't yet distinguish right from wrong. It must have been that previous master who failed to teach him properly.The notion that Sam could be a dange
It was a rare, honorable opportunity. If Pahana's worthless father could witness him now, he'd surely regret abandoning him and his mother.Pahana understood Aria could have chosen not to give him the merits. She could have chosen to continue enslaving him like the other fortune tellers. Yet, she chose to honor her promise, compensating him for his efforts.If all humans kept their promises like Aria, creatures like Pahana wouldn't harbor such deep hatred that they'd want to devour them.Approaching Aria, Pahana was ready to repay her generosity by renewing the blood pact. However, Aria stopped him. She wasn't interested in complicating things further. Who knew where she'd be a century from now? There was no point in binding herself to a lizard—especially when the river was so polluted.Her eyes darkened. "No need. Just stop eating humans and keep an eye on the river. You saw how I handled things. If you don't want to end up as grilled lizard meat, behave.""Ms. Carver, don't worr
With a thud, Pahana fell flat on the ground. He was utterly speechless. Why did Aria suddenly lash out at him?Aria regarded him with a calm yet piercing gaze. "You had a sly look on your face just now. What were you scheming?"Pahana was still far from being fully obedient. Since she had taken him in, it fell upon Aria to teach him the proper order.Pahana blinked, bewildered. This was simply how he looked—Aria couldn't blame him for appearing sly just because of his natural features."I'm merely admiring your skill," he ventured carefully, trying to appease her. "Your mastery of the Decatorian way is impressive." He was referring to how she used Landon's heavenly fortune to sever the binding contract.Aria could sense the subtle disloyalty within Pahana. Cunning was second nature to lizards like him, but with a contract binding them, it was of little concern to her. She glanced down at Pahana, who was sprawled at her feet and spoke coolly, "That's not all I'm good at. I'm also
Back then, those fortune tellers were blind to Landon's true identity and insisted on sealing him away underground. Landon must be seeking revenge for what happened back then.That explained his pursuit of Aria.To Pahana, Aria was an enigma. Her skills were average, yet she possessed undeniable talent and a unique approach that defied the traditional Decatorian methods he knew.Fortune tellers were rarely bound by the conventional, their minds trained to think in ways others could not fathom. Pahana could also feel the hidden strength within Aria, a power she kept buried deep.Landon must have noticed that and sought to consume her soul.Yet Pahana found no trace of a binding contract between Landon and Aria.There were rumors, however, that Landon had once made a pact with a woman who was as infamous as she was beautiful. She was a woman of no redeeming qualities, a heartless temptress who reveled in tormenting others. Her disrespect for people was unmatched, yet Landon had